


Blue Christmas

by Spaceprincealenko



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Twins, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:13:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28074501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spaceprincealenko/pseuds/Spaceprincealenko
Summary: Lily's first Christmas without her mother was hard, her family not making it easier.
Relationships: Female Shepard & Male Shepard (Mass Effect), Kaidan Alenko/Female Shepard
Kudos: 3





	Blue Christmas

Lily sat at the dining table in her aunt and uncles house, wearing the dress her aunt forced her into just hours prior and poking at the sad excuse for cranberry sauce on her plate. It wasn't sauce, it was gelatine. This was the exact opposite of she usually ate on Christmas eve and she was really missing Christmas eve dinner with her mother and Aiden. 

"Lily, young lady?" She looked over to the head of the table where her aunt was giving her a stern look "would you care to tell us what you're thankful for instead of poking at your food?" As far as Lily was concerned it wasn't food but she didn't want Christmas to be completely ruined.

"Um my new earrings?" She tucked her hair behind her ear so the rest of the table could see them better "My brother got them for me." They were moon shaped studs that consisted of gold and opal, the exact same ones she had her eyes on the last time they went window shopping. It wasn't a surprise he remembered she just hoped he didn't have to do anything shady in order to get her some jewelry. 

"Those are nice, better yet I think you can even wear them to school." Her uncle said with a smile, she definitely liked him more than her aunt. 

"I suppose that's all Christmas is about to you, material things." Lily flinched at her aunt's words.

"No, I'm thankful for my brother too of course."

"Because he bought you pretty jewelry?" 

Lily stood up "That's not true! If it weren't for him I wouldn't have made it off Mindoir and you wouldn't have a punching bag!" Tensions between the two of them had been pretty bad lately and it had Lily wondering why they even took her in, it's not like she asked them too. She stormed out of the front door and sat on the steps to their townhouse, it was cold and she was pretty sure her tears had froze to her face.

Lily wiped her tears away and opened up her omni-tool to message her brother "Guess I'm a mind reader?" 

The orange glow illuminated her brother's face as he walked closer to her "Ai?"

"I was in the neighborhood." He shrugged as he sat next to her.

"Bullshit, you hate this part of town." 

Aiden took out his cigarettes from his coat pocket "You told me what time your family dinner was so I came over in case something happened."

"Well aren't you my knight in shining armor." She said as she leaned against him.

"What are older brothers for?" He asked as he lit his cigarette.

"Only by a minute!" She protested.

"Yes, yes only a minute I know." He nodded as he turned away so he didn't blow smoke in her face "It won't be this way forever Lil, I promise, I'll join the Alliance and have the money to move you wherever you want." 

It was a promise he made as soon as they came to Earth, she didn't like that he was willing to throw himself into such a dangerous job just for her but he never listened "Know where you can take me right now?" 

"Dinner?" Lily nodded and he stood up, offering her his hand which she took and they walked hand in hand down the street "Where to?"

"I want tamales…" she trailed off "Oh and can we get sopaillas?" 

"At least we're sticking to tradition, doubt they'll match mom's though."

She sighed "Probably not but if we're lucky they'll at least serve them with ice cream." 

"If not I'll buy you some." 

Lily smiled "You're the best big brother ever." 

"Ah so now I'm the big brother?" He teased.

"I pick my battles."

Aiden chuckled and they walked in a comfortable silence for a bit, the only sounds they heard being that of last minute carolers or the honking of car horns "It won't be like this forever Lily, I promise." He repeated.

"I know, one day I'll celebrate Christmas with a family who actually likes me." She said as she looked up at the sky, snow catching in her hair "you, the love of my life and hell maybe a kid, who knows." It was so far away it didn't seem possible but maybe he was right maybe she was two more bad Christmas away from enjoying the holiday again.   
\-------  
Kaidan joined Lily as she smoked on the deck "Feeling okay honey?" 

Lily nodded as she put out her cigarette on the ashtray next to her, she was trying to quit for Ashley but this time of year was always stressful and she ended up stealing one from Aiden "Yup, just reminiscing."

"What about?" He asked, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"My first Christmas on Earth."

"How was it?" 

Lily snorted "Awful."

"What happened?"

"Started out with me storming out of the house, ended with Aiden and I getting Mexican food."

"Got into a fight with your family?" It was his only guess but apparently it was the right one.

"Aunt got mad at me because at sixteen I was thankful for the new earrings Aiden got me."

"That's a bit...dramatic." 

"Isn't it? Needless to say I don't see them anymore, I would occasionally still hear from my uncle but nothing since the war." She chuckled as she looked out over the bay "You know, I wished for this exact Christmas that night."

"Really?" 

Lily nodded as she looked over her shoulder, watching Aiden and Ashley play together "You, Aiden, Ashley, a family that actually liked me." To Lily like and love were different, you could say you loved someone all day long but if you didn't like them then she didn't think it mattered.

Kaidan ran his fingers through the red hair she rarely wore down, earning a content hum from her "I can promise only good Christmas from here on out."

Lily leaned into him, his arms wrapping around her almost like it was a reflex. The older she got the sillier she felt about letting family she hadn't met before ruin her favorite holiday but it was the first one without her mother so it was hard and they hadn't tried to make it easier. Its not like she didn't enjoy Christmas with the Normandy but even she knew that was temporary, it was nice to have a family of her own to celebrate with.


End file.
